Rotary engine



Sept'. 27, 1932.v D. A. GRAY ROTARY ENGINE Filed sept. 4, 195o Sheets-sheet 1 R WJ m l u m A @n WITNEsss Sept. 27, 1932.- D. A. GRAY 1,880,131

A ROTARY ENGINE Filed sept. 4, 195o svsheets-shee 2 Sept. 27, v1932. D. A. GRAY v RoTAng Euenm 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed sept. 4, 195o Pay? INVENT R Patented sept. y27, 1932 UNITED i STATES DAVID A. GEAY, or cHA'rTANooGA, TENNESSEE ROTARY ENGINE l Application med september 4, naso.` serial no. 479,770.

This invention relates to improvements in rotary engines, and it consists of the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein describedand claimed.

' An object of the invention is to provide a rotary engine which is equipped with sealing joints between the continuously revoluble abutment plate and the oscillatory piston plate for the purpose of preventing the leak- 1nj age of Huid past the important joints between these members.

Another object of the invention is to provide an oscillatory piston plate which accurately fits the globular working chamber 16 of the engine, and is 'continuous with the eX- ce tion of diametrically opposite recesses in wliiich the sealing joint members are tted and also in which the sealing joint'members serve to connect the inclined or obliqueabut- 20 ment plate so that'the latter is made to revolve continuously while the piston plate oscillates.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following speciication, reference be- 25 ing had to the accompanying drawings in which f l Figure l1 is a side elevation of the improved engine.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the 30 line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the engine.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view illusthe line 7 7, of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a detail view of the shaft.

Figure 9 is a section taken substantially 5 on the line 9-9 of .Figure 7, particularly gure 7 is a horizontal section takenfon illustrating the medial ballj construction of 'the shaft.

Figure V10 is a detail sectional view showing how one of the halves of the ball is combined with the shaft.

This invention is an improvement on the engine patented by David A. Gray, December 29, 1931, #1,839,147. The instant invention is a simplification of thatv engine, certain novel structural features being looked to as rendering the device more favorable for some purposes. In `addition to these features an outstanding characteristic residesin certain sealing joints which'not only produce a leakproof joint between the piston and abutment plate but also cause the latter to rotate sothat the possibility of Wearing the latter unevenly is totally eliminated. l

With these general statements in mind at- Vtention is directed to the drawings. A base 1 of any suitable description supports a casing 2 which defines a globular working chamber 3. The casing is made in halves (Figs. 1 and 3), to enable the assemblage therewithin of an abutment plate 4 (Fig. 3) and piston plate 5 .as well as the various components of a shaft 6. v

`For the Apurpose of this assemblage the halves of the casing 2 are flanged at 7. Bolts 8 secure the halves together. Each casing half hasl a sleeve 9. These sleeves are'in axial alinement and constitute a bearing for the shaft.l Glands 10 of any known order, compress the packings 11in the known manner.

The lowermost half of the casing 2'as well 85 as the sleeve 9 at the right (Fig. 3) are each apart of the base 1. The uppermost half of the casing is -in the nature of a cover, being made separate from the-base. When these parts are assembled the globular casing 2 will 9o be completed. l

At the right end of the shaft 6 there is an oil reservoir 12 (Fig. 3) which is held down to any appropriate support by fastening means 'that are passed through its flanges 13 f"- .(Fi 1). The right end of the-shaft 6 ex ten s into and turns in the reservoir, there,

being a duplicate gland 14V and its Apacking' to prevent the escape offoil. Oil is delivered to the reservoir under pressure through a 1W pipe`' and thence conducted to the internal working parts of the engine by way of a passage 16 running'lengthwise of the shaft 6. Laterals 17 (Fig. 3) conduct some of the oil from 'the passage 16 to the bearing surfaces of the sleeves 9. The presence of the oil passage' 16 makes .it possible to virtually operate the piston plate 5 in a body of oil by virtue of the` passage extending beyond the sides vof the plate (Fig. 7) as presently brought out.

A channel 18, which is the composite of identical annular rabbets on the inner edges of the casing halves (Fig. '3), receives what might be known as the rim of the abutment plate 4. .This plate consists of a ring which extends to a ball 19 that forms part of the shaft 6 (Fig. 2). The abutment plate has a round central hole 20 (Fig. 4). to receive the ball. The abutment plate revolves around the ball while the ball revolves inside of the The piston plate 5 is a complete disc with the exception of recesses 21 (Figs. 3 and 5) that are cut infrom. the edges as faras the periphery of the ball 19-at vdiametrically op-y posite points (Fig. 3) Itis through certain sealing jointsthat the plate 4 is connected with the plate f5, the effect of the connection upon revolution of the shaft 6 being an oscillation of the piston plate 5 and a continuous rotation of the abutment plate 4.

Each sealn joint comprises a knuckle 22 (Figs. 4 an`d5 This is nothing more than a cylidrical 'plug' which is made concave at 23 on its inner end and convex at 24 at its outer end to agree with the contoursof the ball 19 and the working chamber 3 with which each knuckle has a close but working fit. Parallel longitudinal slots 25 on diametrically opposite sides of each knuckle 22 receive the fins or wings 26 (Fig. 5) to which the portions of the plate 5 are reduced immediately adjacent toeach recess 21.'

There is a snug fit between the slots 25 and fins 26. The knuckles 22 will always assume the same relationship to the piston plate 5 although these 4knuckles are constantly changing in radial relationship to the shaft 6 during rotation. The central hole 20 of the abutment plate has slot extensions 2()a (Figs.

4 and 5) to receive the knuckles 22, the paral-l is being driven away from the observer (1n lel walls of the slot extensions being concaved (Fig. 5)- to suit the contour of the knuckles 22.

Studs 27 secure the knuckles 22 of the sealing joints to the abutment plate 4. These vstuds are simply carried by the knuckles and are extended far enough into the abutment plate to eiect the connection. It is by means of the extensions of these studs into the rim of the abutment plate (Fig. 3) that the latter` fits in `a corresponding groove 31 on the respective side of the piston plate 5 (Fig. 9). The piston plate thus virtually occupies a slot in the ball, the sections 28, 29 of the latter being suliiciently less than half spheres to accommodate the plate 5 therebetween and yet compose a complete sphere when assembled on each side of the piston plate.

The slot in the ball 19 has an extension 32 Fig. 4) in the shaft 6. It has been stated t at the piston plate 5 oscllates. `The oscillation occurs on an appropriate pivotal member 33 which also constitutes the connector for the ball sections 28, 29. The member 33 is sufficiently narrow so as not to obstruct the passage 16. Oil can thus flow past each side of the plate 5 and enable the latter to oscillate through a volume of oil to insure its lubrication.

By preference the ball 19 is made of metal dissimilar from that of the shaft 6. For example, the ball will be made of cast iron while the shaft will be made from steel. The shaft 6 has a separable side 34 which when secured at 35 (Fig. 7) completes the shaft.

It is to the chief component of the shaft 6' and its side 34 that the ball sections 28, 29 are secured in any appropriate way. Should there ever be any evidence of wear on the surface of either ball section it would be a comparatively easy and cheap operation to replace that section rather than to substitute an entirely new shaft. l Y

.The abutment plate 4' divides the working chamber 3 so thatthe casing 2 actually contains two working chambers. Each of these has intake and exhaust openings 36, 37 and 38,39 respectively on the left and right sides4 as well illustrated in Figure 1. Provisions against the leakage of fluid around the abutment and piston plates 4, 5 comprise piston rings 40, 41 set in ythe outer and inner edges of the abutment plate (Fig. 2),packings 42 set in the flanges 7 beside the abutment plate and a piston ring 43 set in the peripheral edge of the piston plate'5.

The operation is readily understood. Consider Figure 3. The construction is shown tical section showing the inner parts. The piston plate 5 is in the upright position and the direction of arrow 44, Fig. 2) by virtue of 'fluid being admitted at the prevlously uncovered -intake opening 36. The pressure against the face of fthe plate 5- causes the` shaft 6 to rotate. j j

As the shaft rotates, the sealing joints, exempliied by the knuckles 22 (Fig. 3)-, will cause the abutment plate 4 to rotate also, this by virtue ofthe connection of the knuckles l. y

both plates 54. The turniugofthe abutment plate results in a continuous changing of the bearing surfaces sro that any 130.

wear will uniform throughout. As revolution of the shaft continues the piston plate 5 I the points of connection of the piston ber.

will partake of an oscillatory or rocking motion on its pivotal member 33 by virtue of being forced v to follow the inclined or oblique abutment plate.

There is a' continual opening and closing of the ports, and the result is a rapid rotation of the shaft 6. One of the principal purposes of the construction is to prevent the escape of 'active pressure fluid past the joint between the abutment plate 4 and piston plate 5 into the exhaust side of the working cham- This is accomplished by the sealing joints which not only insure the utmost freedom of movement between the parts but also act as a`seal against the escape of fluid in either directio i I hile the construction and arrangement of the improved engine is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changes may be made without departing from they spirit of the invention or the-scope of the claims.

I claim 1. An engine comprising a casing having a vworking chamber, rotatable-` abutment means, an oscillatory piston plate, a yshaft carrying the piston plate for revolution by force of pressure Huid in theworking chamber exerted against said plate, and combined joint and iiuid seal means connecting the piston plate with the abutment means, causing. the abutment means to" rotate and compensating for ,the resulting oscillation of the piston plate. 2. In an engine having a casing with a working chamber, a Vpiston plate operable in the chamber, a shaft by which said plate is rockably carried, and abutment means with which said plate coacts being located obllquely across the chamber in reference to the shaft; meansconstituting sealing joints connecting the abutment meansl with the piston plate, causing rocking 'of the latter and rotation of the abutment means during shaft' rotation, and means'elfecting a fluid seal at v plate wlth saiduniversal joint means,; l

3. An engine comprising a casing having a globular working chamber, a` shaft suptported by the casinghaving a ball situated medially of the chamber, a piston plate fitti the chamber, being carried by the shaft an revoluble in the chamber .by force ofpressure fluid exerted thereagainst to vrotate the shaft, said plate having diametricall site recesses,.abu tment means carriedy casing and extending into the chamber to bear on the ball, said means being situated 4. vAn engine comprisin a casing having a globular working cham r, an abutment plate revolubly carried by the casing, extending into the working chamber and havin a central hole, a shaft journaled on the casing having a ball located medially of the chamber and fitting the hole, a piston plate carried by the shaft, fitting the working chamber, said plate having diametrically opposite recesses extending from points a roximately flush with the ball to the walil of the working chamber, knuckles occupying the recesses and having slots to receive the edges of the recesses to 'perfect a fluid seal between the sides of the piston plate, and means connecting the knuckles with the abutment plate causing revolution of the latter upon -rotation of the shaft by force of fluid Apressure exerted against the piston plate.

5. In an engine comprising a casing having 1 a Working chamber, a shaft'journaled on the casing having a ball located medially ofthe working chamber there being a slot .in the shaft and ball, a piston plate in the slot and fitting the working chamber, means by which Huid from-one side of the partition to the other.A

6., In. an engine, a piston plate, and a shaft which is slotted to movably receive the plate,

said shaft having an .oil passage exceeding the plate in width' to lcontinuously conduct oil along the sides of the plate.

7. In an engine', a piston plate having annular grooves on opposite sides, a shaft which is -slotted to rockably receive said plate,

and a ball incorporated in the shaft through which the slot also extends, said ball having annular ribs fitting in the grooves.

8. In an engine, a shaft, a SSIPM'able. side,

said shaft andsi'de having a slot, a piston plate rockabl'e in' the slot, and a ball comprislng half'fs'ections incorporated in the respective shaft and separable side, said sections being-suiiiciently less than half spheres to Aconstitute a continuation of the slot.

DAVID A. GRAY.

obliquely to the shaft, and sealing joints connecti' the late with the abutment means comprlsing uckles fitted in the recesses fand studsconnecting -the knuckles with the abutment means to cause the latter to rotate. 

